Success Stories

The USAID | Health Policy Initiative is pleased to share these success stories.

Stories from the Field: Women leaders join in Mara, Tanzania to call for an end to GBV

July 1, 2013
Mama Maria Nyerere, the widow of Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere, Tanzania's founder and first president, spoke out against gender-based violence (GBV) and female genital mutilation (FGM) to open the 3rd Women Leaders Conference on Gender-Based Violence, held 4?6 April 2013 in Mara, Tanzania.

Faith Restored

February 9, 2012
When their daughter Leah was born, Imani, Helena, and the baby tested positive for HIV. Anguished and ashamed, Imani left his ailing family and fled the village, despite family members' attempts to intervene. Leaders from the Muslim Council of Tanzania, the Pentecostal Church of Tanzania, and the Christian Council of Tanzania learned about the situation and teamed up to find Imani. The interfaith coalition had received training from the Health Policy Initiative (HPI) on the basics of HIV transmission and learned how stigma and discrimination erode the bonds of family, community, and country. Following intensive counseling, Imani returned to his family with his hope restored and a reinvigorated determination to live a healthy, happy life.

Happiness at Last

February 9, 2012
After enduring violence and sexual assault for a decade, Happiness Soine finally gained justice when the perpetrator was arrested after a journalist published her account. In an effort to raise public awareness of gender-based violence, the Health Policy Initiative (HPI) collaborates with the Association of Journalists against HIV/AIDS in Tanzania to build the media's capacity in reporting on stigma, discrimination, and gender-based violence. Journalists learn about Tanzanian laws, policies, and regulations, and examine relevant provisions of the penal code related to rape and indecent assault. She now lives happily with her two sons in a new house on their plot of land in the Arumeru District.

Road to Reconciliation

February 9, 2012
After finding out she and her son were HIV-positive, Valediana was forced to squat on a small piece of unused land where she built herself a makeshift hut from thatched grass and began to raise her baby boy, Jotham. The Health Policy Initiative (HPI) has been working with faith-based organizations in Tanzania to reduce stigma and discrimination. HPI educates religious leaders on the basics of HIV transmission and illustrates how stigma and discrimination erode the bonds of family, community, and country. By exemplifying compassion and empathy, religious leaders have proven influential in promoting a supportive environment for people like Valediana and Jotham.

Citizen Monitoring in Mali: Project Summary

September 29, 2010
In 2009/10, the Mali Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS (RMAP+) undertook a pilot citizen monitoring project. The project aimed to assess access to health services and experiences with stigma and discrimination, as well as engage people living with HIV (PLHIV) in policy dialogue and monitoring. The pilot project, led by PLHIV, has informed development of an advocacy agenda for RMAP+ and local PLHIV associations. The government has also recognized the approach as an important element of improved governance of the HIV response. As a result, the country's Global Fund grant sets aside funds to expand citizen monitoring nationwide.

CONAES Ensures a Strong Private Sector Voice in Mexico's HIV Response

August 10, 2010
Since its founding in 2004, the National HIV/AIDS Business Council (CONAES) in Mexico has grown into a strong advocate for a private sector role in the national HIV response. The council has 26 member organizations, reaching about 150,000 employees. Members have adopted HIV and anti-discrimination workplace policies. In recognition of its important role, in October 2009, CONAES was invited to become a voting member of the National AIDS Council Governing Body.

Declaration Affirms Commitment for Contraceptive Security in Latin America and the Caribbean

June 1, 2010
In June 2010, leaders from countries across Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) pledged their commitment to ensuring contraceptive security (CS) in the region. Contraceptive security exists when all persons have access to high-quality contraceptives and condoms whenever they need them. Signatories to the declaration, which was drafted and adopted during the Regional CS Conference for LAC, include the host country, Dominican Republic, as well as El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Paraguay, and Peru.

June 1, 2010
Throughout Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), multisectoral Contraceptive Security (CS) Committees are working to address CS issues, including forecasting contraceptive needs and advocating for policy reform to better reach the underserved. A new virtual communication, www.lacdaia.org, has been launched to enable the committees to share experiences, lessons learned, and best practices.

Paths to Leadership for People Living with HIV in the Middle East and North Africa: Project Highlights (Brief)

June 1, 2010
From 2005–2010, the "Investing in PLHIV Leadership in MENA" initiative strengthened the capacity of people living with HIV (PLHIV) in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region through training, mentoring, and small grants. The initiative sought to build social capital of PLHIV in the region, promote greater investment in PLHIV, and foster policy dialogue and advocacy. On the path to strengthened PLHIV leadership in MENA's HIV response, the initiative has achieved several outcomes. PLHIV are taking steps to form a regional network; women living with HIV have emerged as leaders and are starting support groups for other women affected in the region; and National AIDS Programs have contributed funding to support expansion of PLHIV-led activities in-country. In addition, the initiative has created four curricula (which will be available in English and Arabic) to help build the capacity of PLHIV in the region. This brief reviews highlights of the project; additional details are available in the forthcoming full report.

In Ethiopia, Engaging Men in Reproductive Health Promotes Progress for All

March 1, 2010
In celebration of International Women's Day 2010, the USAID | Health Policy Initiative, Task Order 1, supported the Ethiopian government to host an event to draw attention to the importance of engaging men in reproductive health issues to promote progress for all. This story from the field highlights the government's strong commitment to constructive male engagement and recognition that such efforts must work hand-in-hand with programs to empower women and girls.

December 1, 2009
As China continues to implement its Reform and Opening-Up policy, the number of grassroots community-based organizations (CBOs) eager for involvement and change multiplies. To support China's burgeoning HIV community sector to mobilize, strengthen its leadership, and succeed in bringing about local-level change, the USAID | Health Policy Initiative in the Greater Mekong Region and China (HPI/GMR-C) is building CBO capacity in advocacy and community mobilization. HPI/GMR-C provides training in advocacy, project management, and implementation. The training is followed by small grants to enable CBOs to implement their newly acquired advocacy skills.

This series highlights the critical contribution community efforts make to HIV prevention, care, and treatment by exploring the outcome of some of these grants, the lessons learned, and the evolving meaning of advocacy in China. Since this series would be impossible without the enormous contribution and leadership of people living with HIV, the communities most at-risk for HIV, and their partners and families, we thank them for telling their stories.

In Mengzi, a small county in Yunnan province, China, the vast majority of drug users are not accessing preventative HIV and injecting drug use services. This brief explores the reasons why and highlights the actions of the Mengzi Kangxin Home Support Group in working to address these issues influencing uptake of services.

Indonesia's Islamic Schools Adopt HIV Curricula

December 1, 2009
Following more than two years of technical assistance and advocacy by the USAID | Health Policy Initiative, Task Order 1, young people attending Islamic middle schools in East Java Province, Indonesia, are now learning about HIV prevention and stigma reduction.

Civil Society Commitment to Collaboration: The Foundation for Effective Advocacy in Chiapas (Mexico)

October 1, 2009
In Chiapas, Mexico, the USAID | Health Policy Initiative, Task Order 1, has strengthened the capacity of a group of civil society organizations. As a result, the organizations were able to carry out a successful advocacy campaign to halt a proposed measure that would have criminalized transmission of HIV. In response to community mobilization, the Director of the National AIDS Program (CENSIDA) visited Chiapas to meet with the governor. Shortly thereafter, HIV-specific wording was removed from the proposed legislation.

October 1, 2009
In 2009, the USAID | Health Policy Initiative, Task Order 1, carried out a training to orient civil society organizations to HIV funding mechanisms in Mexico and build capacity in proposal writing. As a result, 12 of the NGOs that participated in the training received funding from the National AIDS Program (CENSIDA) to carry out local HIV prevention activities. The Health Policy Initiative is working with CENSIDA to expand the training for the next round of proposals. A video of the training is available on the CENSIDA website.

Screening Reveals the Role of Violence in Increasing HIV Vulnerability among MSM and Transgenders

October 1, 2009
Gender-based violence (GBV) is not only an issue for women. Emotional, physical, and sexual violence is often perpetrated against men who have sex with men (MSM), transgenders, and male sex workers as a form of discrimination against their gender identities. Such violence increases their risk for HIV. However, healthcare providers have been slow to address the issue of GBV among MSM and transgenders—either being unaware of their vulnerability to violence or reluctant to delve into these sensitive issues. A new GBV Screening Tool helps healthcare providers identify MSM and transgenders affected by violence so that they can be linked to appropriate counseling and services.

Labor Unions in Mozambique Join the National Response to HIV

October 1, 2009
Nearly two-thirds of formal sector workers in Mozambique belong to a labor union. Despite this, while considerable attention has been paid to encouraging private employers in Mozambique to adopt and implement HIV workplace policies and programs, until recently, organized labor had not been involved in efforts to support HIV interventions in the workplace. Collaborating with labor unions complements working with employers to facilitate the private sector response to HIV. This story describes how the Health Policy Initiative partnered with the National Confederation of Free and Independent Labor Unions of Mozambique (CONSILMO), which represents 106,000 members in four affiliated labor unions across Mozambique, to incorporate HIV workplace policies and programs as a standard demand in their collective bargaining efforts.

September 1, 2009
While HIV-related stigma is a challenge throughout Kenyan society, it has rendered certain groups particularly vulnerable. Members of particular professions, such as teaching, have been acutely stigmatized because of their positions of trust in the society. Teachers living with HIV have experienced high levels of stigma and discrimination. Many have been forced to resign their posts because of their status. Recently, this situation has begun to change, in part due to the efforts of networks of teachers living with and affected by HIV. With assistance from the USAID | Health Policy Initiative, teachers have come together to support and educate each other about HIV, encourage each other to seek treatment, and advocate for their rights. With the project's training and support, the Kenya Network of Positive Teachers (KENEPOTE) and the Kenya AIDS Network for Post-primary Institutions (KANEPPI) are fighting stigma and discrimination, advocating for teachers' rights, and raising awareness of HIV in their workplaces and communities.

September 1, 2009
Making adequate healthcare services universally available requires striking a delicate balance between a population's health needs and available resources. It also requires the equitable and efficient allocation and use of those resources. Without proper healthcare financing strategies, no government can hope to successfully meet the health needs of its citizens. This case study describes how Task Order 1 of the USAID | Health Policy Initiative and its predecessor, the POLICY Project, helped to strengthen Kenya's healthcare financing system.

September 1, 2009
Healthcare workers are at the heart of Kenya's HIV response; yet, they themselves are vulnerable to HIV infection. Paradoxically, healthcare workers often have restricted access to treatment, care, and support services. While their profession places them in close proximity to those services, it also exposes them to heightened stigma when they test HIV positive, making them more reluctant to seek HIV services. To date, there have been few HIV prevention, treatment, or support services targeted specifically toward healthcare workers. This brief describes how Task Order 1 of the USAID | Health Policy Initiative in Kenya helped HIV-positive health workers come together to form a network to fight stigma and discrimination in the workplace.

September 1, 2009
Task Order 1 of the USAID | Health Policy Initiative works to foster an enabling environment for equitable access to high-quality health services. A key to the project's success is its commitment to strengthening local advocates and champions. The Kenya Treatment Access Movement (KETAM) is one local partner that has benefitedfrom this support. Together, HPI and KETAM have successfully championed Kenyans' right to access affordable HIV treatment, care, and support services—fending off legal and legislative challenges that threatened to restrict access to these services.

September 1, 2009
Founded in 2003, the National Empowerment Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS in Kenya (NEPHAK) brings together networks of people living with HIV (PLHIV), nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), community-based organizations (CBOs), and individuals to pursue common goals—improving the quality of life of PLHIV and increasing their involvement in the national HIV response.

Task Order 1 of the USAID | Health Policy Initiative has supported NEPHAK since 2006. The project's predecessor, the POLICY Project, helped facilitate the network's formation and assisted it during its first two years.This brief describes how the projects' support has helped NEPHAK emerge as a strong, sustainable institution, able to successfully champion the rights of PLHIV and others affected by the epidemic in Kenya.

September 1, 2009
Faith and religion are powerful forces in the lives of most Kenyans. The integral role religion plays in people's daily lives places religious leaders in a position of tremendous trust and influence. Unfortunately, instead of serving as places of refuge from stigma for people living with HIV (PLHIV), churches and mosques have often themselves been a source of stigma and discrimination, and religious leaders have been slow to respond to the epidemic.

This case study describes how Task Order 1 of the USAID | Health Policy Initiative and its predecessor, the POLICY Project, helped establish Kenya's first national network of HIV-positive and affected religious leaders. Since its establishment in 2004, the network has grown into a strong and influential organization. Its groundbreaking work has paved the way for other national networks of faith leaders, which have sprung up in neighboring countries, including Tanzania and Uganda.

September 1, 2009
For more than 10 years, Task Order 1 of the USAID | Health Policy Initiative and its predecessor, the POLICY Project, have worked closely with government and civil society partners in Kenya to raise the profile of FP/RH issues and foster an enabling policy environment. The projects' efforts have led to the drafting and adoption of key policies and strategies and the mobilization of additional resources for RH. The projects have also helped to raise the profile of FP issues on the national agenda, drawn attention to the RH needs and rights of women living with disabilities, and helped Kenya begin the process of integrating RH and HIV services.

Time to Deliver on Maternal Health and Family Planning Best Practices: White Ribbon Alliances in Asia and the Middle East Make It Happen

July 30, 2009
White Ribbon Alliances (WRAs) across Asia and the Middle East have become strong advocates for evidence-based strategies to reduce maternal mortality. The USAID | Health Policy Initiative, Task Order 1, has helped to form alliances and support their efforts to scale up family planning (FP) and maternal, neonatal, and child health (MNCH) best practices in the region. This brief highlights the achievements of alliances from Bangladesh, India (Orissa), Indonesia, Pakistan, and Yemen.

Making Policies Work for People: HIV Legal Clinics and Hotline in Vietnam Ensure that PLHIV Know and Exercise Their Rights

July 1, 2009
Beginning in December 2006, the USAID | Health Policy Initiative, Task Order 1, collaborated with in-country partners to establish and operate legal clinics and a hotline as a way to facilitate implementation and monitoring of Vietnam's Law on Prevention and Control of HIV/AIDS, which came into force in January 2007. This success story documents the progress made by those efforts.

On the Right Track: Vietnam Adopts Rights-based Policies for HIV Prevention, Treatment, and Care

July 1, 2009
Over the past five years, Vietnam has notably improved its HIV policy and legal framework. Projects supported by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)—including the USAID | Health Policy Initiative, Task Order 1 (2005–2009), and its predecessor, the POLICY Project (2002–2006)—have been instrumental in bringing about this change in Vietnam's policy environment. POLICY and the Health Policy Initiative facilitated the adoption and implementation of significant policy instruments, including the national HIV/AIDS strategy, HIV law, and guidelines on treatment, care, and medication-assisted therapy (MAT). These projects offered expertise in policy formulation, coordinated involvement of international and national subject-area experts, and helped to build consensus among policymakers when opinions differed. Acumen in negotiating diverse interests and opinions is essential for overcoming obstacles that can delay or derail the policy process. At each step, the projects also strengthened civil society advocacy capacity and encouraged active participation in the policy process, especially by people living with HIV (PLHIV).

Positive Beginnings: Strong Networks in Vietnam Enable People Living with HIV to Take Charge of Their Futures

July 1, 2009
Vietnam's first case of HIV was detected in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) in 1990. Yet, by 2003, only about 20 small, self-help groups were in existence. These groups were located mainly in the big cities of Hanoi in the north and HCMC in the south. Today, five years later, the situation looks quite different. Now, Vietnam has about 200 groups, of all sizes, spread throughout the country. In 2008—building on the path-breaking efforts of regional coalitions—people living with HIV (PLHIV) came together to form two national networks: the Vietnam Network of People Living with HIV (VNP+) and the Vietnam Positive Women's Network. With a strong, united voice, HIV-positive people are poised to enter a new era of engagement in the national HIV response.

Islamic Leaders Become a Force for Change in Indonesia's HIV Response

May 1, 2009
To build support for HIV prevention at the community level in Indonesia, the USAID | Health Policy Initiative, Task Order 1, partnered with two prominent Islamic organizations, Muhammadiyah and Nahdlatul Ulama. Focusing on East Java, the project strengthened the HIV advocacy capacity of the organizations' provincial leaders, Syafiq Abdul Mughni and H. Sonhaji Abdussomad, respectively. These leaders have recruited additional HIV champions, forming a team of eight leaders representing district government bodies and different sectors within the Islamic community (including a university and women's group). The team members have become influential advocates for improved HIV responses at the community level. As a result, Muslim communities and organizations have become sensitized to HIV issues, are drafting HIV action plans and incorporating HIV into school curricula, and have committed to forming a network of district-level religious leaders to address HIV.

Laying the Foundation: PLHIV in MENA Share Knowledge, Build a Network

February 1, 2009
The strongest barrier to PLHIV engagement in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region has been stigma-related isolation—isolation from each other, from information about HIV, and from the regional and global PLHIV community. The work of the Health Policy Initiative and its partners has given a core group of PLHIV the tools to break the isolation PLHIV face in the region and build a network of support and a path to PLHIV leadership.

PLHIV Leaders Emerge in MENA

Tanzanian Media Join HIV Response

August 29, 2008
With technical assistance from the USAID | Health Policy Initiative, Task Order 1, media houses in Tanzania are answering the call to become part of the private sector response to HIV. To date, 16 major media houses have adopted HIV workplace policies

Tanzania Adopts HIV Law

August 1, 2008
This case study explores how the USAID-funded POLICY Project and USAID | Health Policy Initiative, Task Order 1, have worked to promote an enabling environment for HIV programs in Tanzania. In February 2008, Tanzania's Parliament passed the HIV and AIDS (Prevention and Control) Act, which prohibits discrimination against people living with HIV. The act also outlines the roles of the government, health sector, NGOs, faith-based groups, and the private sector in the national HIV response. Moreover, it calls for enhancing efforts to meet the needs of orphans and vulnerable children. These represent important steps forward. However, much work remains to clarify, disseminate, and ensure appropriate implementation of the act.

August 1, 2008
Many faith-based organizations have responded to the HIV epidemic by encouraging prevention and providing care and support. Yet, challenges such as stigma, shame, denial, discrimination, inaction, and mis-action persist. Since 2006, the USAID | Health Policy Initiative, Task Order 1, has mobilized religious leaders in response to the HIV epidemic in Tanzania. The project's partners include Christian and Muslim organizations, as well as HIV-positive religious leaders. As demonstrated in this case study, the Health Policy Initiative has established strong relationships with faith-based institutions across different religious traditions.

August 1, 2008
This case study highlights a successful district and regional network building approach in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, supported by the USAID | Health Policy Initiative, Task Order 1. With the project's support, the Kinondoni District Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS (KINDIPHA+) has improved its leadership and management skills, designed a five-year strategic plan, and fostered the formation of sister networks in two neighboring districts. KINDIPHA+ then took its approach to the next level, bringing together the three district networks to form the Dar es Salaam Coalition of People Living with HIV and AIDS (DACOPHA). Building on its successes, KINDIPHA+ has begun reaching out to other regions to encourage them to build their own PLHIV networks.

Community Activist Combats Stigma (Tanzania)

August 1, 2008
This story describes Jackson Ngaiti, the Secretary of the Kongwa Red Cross Society. Ngaiti has become the driving force behind a community mobilization campaign to fight stigma in Tanzania's remote Kongwa district.

Kenya Adopts First National Reproductive Health Policy

Bringing Hope From Bitterness (Kenya)

March 5, 2008
Women and children are often deprived of home, land, and property in Kenya. This publication tells the story of Dorothy Owino, who overcame her own disinheritance to become a champion for women and children's rights in her community.

Dr. Nafsiah Mboi Combats Gender Inequity and HIV in Indonesia

March 5, 2008
This article tells the story of Dr. Nafsiah Mboi. As the Secretary of Indonesia's National AIDS Committee, she has encountered many challenges in her quest to stop the spread of HIV in her country, including gender discrimination.

Guatemala Congress Establishes Policy Monitoring Board

March 1, 2008
Policies are not always implemented after they are adopted, and often do not achieve desired results. As part of a pilot test of a new tool designed to assess policy implementation, the Health Policy Initiative evaluted the Social Development and Population Policy in Guatemala. The study's findings prompted the Congress of Guatemala to establish a monitoring board for reproductive health (RH), which will monitor the implementation of RH laws, find new funding sources, and spread RH awareness.

New Voices For Change in Tanzania

January 1, 2008
This document tells the story of the Health Policy Initiative's work with HIV-positive religious leaders and journalists in Tanzania. With support from the project, these groups are beginning to speak out against HIV-related stigma and discrimination.

New Networks Bring Hope to PLHIV (China)

December 31, 2007
This article describes HPI's successful efforts to support the establishment of PLHIV networks in Guangxi Province, and how those networks are changing the lives of PLHIV in the area.

PLHIV Break the Silence in Yunnan (China)

December 31, 2007
This article describes how HPI's support helped "Evergreen Life," a radio series exploring the experiences of PLHIV hosted by an HIV-positive individual, to bring a new voice to Chinese radio.

HIV Legal Clinic Opens in Vietnam

April 1, 2007
Turning Vietnam's HIV policy framework into practice is the aim of a new legal clinic and hotline. The HIV/AIDS Legal Clinic, based in Ho Chi Minh City, provides legal advice and assistance to people living with HIV. In addition to the clinic, which provides face-to-face counseling, a legal hotline with a national toll-free number has also opened in Hanoi.

March 28, 2007
MANDIMBA DISTRICT | Government and civil society groups in Mandimba District, Mozambique, have decided to establish a public forum for discussing and addressing HIV/AIDS at the district level. The decision came about during an awareness-raising session organized by the Multisectoral Technical Group (MTG) of Niassa Province on March 28, 2007.

Jordan Moves Toward FP Self-sufficiency

December 18, 2006
AMMAN | On December 18, 2006, the Kingdom of Jordan and USAID signed an agreement pledging ongoing cooperation to ensure access to modern contraceptive methods in Jordan. The "Contraceptive Phase-over Plan" lays the groundwork for a complete transfer of responsibility for contraceptive procurement to the Jordanian government by 2009.

Vietnam Adopts First HIV Law

June 21, 2006
HANOI | On June 21, 2006, Vietnam's National Assembly approved the country's first ever law on HIV prevention and control. The law guarantees equal treatment for people living with HIV and others affected by the epidemic and provides a comprehensive legal framework that will strengthen the national response to the epidemic.

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